bathen

Middle English

Alternative forms

baathe, bathe, bathien, baþen, baþie, baþiȝe
baðien, beaðien (early)

Etymology

From Old English baþian, from Proto-West Germanic *baþōn, from Proto-Germanic *baþōną; equivalent to bath +‎ -en (infinitival suffix). Compare bethen.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbaːðən/

Verb

bathen (third-person singular simple present batheth, present participle bathende, bathynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle bathed)

To put or cover in water:
1. To bath or wash (especially for medicinal reasons)
2. To dip; to quickly immerse someone.
3. To shower or drench something or someone (usually in liquid).
  - 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́burẏ (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published c. 1400–1410], OCLC 14061358, folio 2, recto:
    Whan that Auerill w^t his shoures soote / The droghte of march hath ꝑced to the roote / And bathed euery veyne in swich lycour / Of which v̄tu engendred is the flour […]
    When that April, with its sweet showers / Has pierced March's drought to the root / And bathed every vein in fluid such that / with its power, the flower is made […]
To bathe; to have a bath or immerse oneself in liquid:
Synonym: bethen
To enjoy or relax in something; to benefit from something.
(rare) To immerse, steep, or absorb.
(rare) To swim; to move in water.

Conjugation

Conjugation of bathen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) bathen, bathe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	bathe	bathed
2nd-person singular	bathest	bathedest
3rd-person singular	batheth	bathed
subjunctive singular	bathe	bathed
imperative singular	bathe	—

plural¹	bathen, bathe	batheden, bathede
imperative plural	batheth, bathe	—

participles	bathynge, bathende	bathed, ybathed

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

English: bathe
Scots: bathe, baith, bauthe

References

“bāthen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-16.